Insulation support

ABSTRACT

A building structure in which a rib extends inwardly from exterior sheathing and has a T-shaped base on which is supported means for holding an insulation panel in position beneath the sheathing, the said means including a channel-shaped portion in which the said base is positioned.

[451 May 23, 1972 United States Patent Bowser FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS [54] INSULATION SUPPORT [72] Inventor:

1951 Germanymu... 1953 John O. Bowser, Natrona Heights, Pa.

52/359 ....52/461 Great Britain..........'...........i....52/493 691,838Great Britain 933,787

[73] Assignee: Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pa. June 1, 1970Appl. No.: 42,248

Primary Examiner-Price C. Faw, .Ir. Attomey-Edward B. F oote [22] Filed:

[57] ABSTRACT A building structure in which a rib extends inwardly fromexterior sheathing and has a T-shaped base on which is supported meansfor holding an insulation panel in position beneath the sheathing, thesaid means including a channelshaped portion in which the said base ispositioned.

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2 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS3,360,896 Wright............................,........52/489 Patented May23, 1972 3,664,079

lNl/EN TOR. JOHN 0. BOWSER Attorney DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Thisinvention relates to insulated structures, and relates particularly tostructures in which insulation panels are supported adjacent theinterior of building siding or roofing.

It is the object of this invention to provide a simple and economicalway of mounting insulation panels interiorly of roofing or siding, andwhich permits the insulation panels to be quickly and easily put inplace or removed.

The invention involves a building structure in which ribs carried byouter sheathing i.e., roofing or siding for the building extend inwardlytoward the building interior, which ribs have a substantially T-shapedbase which is mounted in a channel in an elongated strip which is alsoprovided with means for holding an insulation panel in place under theinner face of the sheathing. The aforesaid rib baseis retained in thechannel by shoulders which project into the channel from the side wallsof the channel and overlie the rib base. Preferably the rib base restson bearing surfaces in the channel, below the aforesaid shoulders.

The invention will be described below in connection with the type ofbuilding structure described in U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 30,106,filed Apr. 20, 1970, by Jay R. Stemler, (the latter application and thisapplication being assigned to the same assignee) in which splinesholding adjacent edges of roofing or siding panels form ribs whichextend inwardly toward the building interior and have a T-shaped basewhich rests on, and is clamped to, structural framing members of thebuilding. However, it will be understood that the invention is notlimited to using as the ribs the splines described in the Stemlerapplication. For example, the roofing or siding may be provided withribs integral therewith or attached thereto.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which is aperspective view, partly in section, of the underside of a portion of aroof structure embodying the invention. Referring to the drawing,adjacent corrugated roofing panels 1 are supported by conventional roofpurlins 2. Depending from the inwardly-turned edges 3 of the adjacentpanels is a rib 4 having an elongated channel 5 in which the panel edges3 are positioned and retained in place by a strip 6 of flexible materialpressed tightly in place in the channel 5. The rib 4 extendstransversely across the purlins 2 of the roof and has a T- shaped base 7which rests on the upper flange 2 of the purlin and is held thereto byclamps (not shown) as described in the aforesaid Stemler application.

Supported on the base 7 as described below is an insulationretainingstrip 8 consisting of a channel-shaped section 9 and flanges 10extending laterally from opposite sides thereof beneath the edges of theinsulation panels 11, thereby retaining the latter panels in place,preferably with their outer face in contact with the underside of thecorrugations in the panels 1. The base 7 rests on a pair of oppositelydisposed bearing surfaces 12 extending longitudinally of the recess 13formed by the opposing side walls 14 of the section 9. The base isretained in the recess 13 by a pair of shoulders 15 which projectinwardly from the side walls 14, which shoulders are spaced from, andparallel to, the bearing surfaces 12 and overlie the side edges of thebase 7. In other words, the bearing surfaces 12 and the shoulders 15form slots therebetween into which the edges ofthe base 7 fit.

To facilitate passage of the base 7 past the shoulders 15 and into therecess 13 in joining the strip 8 to the rib 4, the outer faces 16 ofthose shoulders slope outwardly to provide a funnel-shaped entrance tothe recess, and the side walls 14 are sufficiently flexible andresilient to permit them to spread apart when the faces 16 are pressedupwardly against the base 7. Once the base 7 clears the shoulders 15,the side walls 14 5 snap back to their original position, therebysecuring the base between the bearing surfaces 12 and the underside ofthe shoulders 15. Similarly, the strips 8 can be removed by pulling themaway from the rib base 6 with sufficient force to spread the side walls14 outwardly and permit the shoulders 15 to clear the side edges of thebase 7.

Thus, the strips 8 can easily be assembled with the roofing panels byforcing the base 7 into the recess 13 as described above, with theflanges 10 underlying the edges of the insulation panels. Likewise, ifit is desired to remove or replace insulation panels, the strips 8 canbe pulled from the base 7, releasing the insulation panels.

It is advantageous for the base 7 to have a sliding fit with the bearingsurfaces 12 and the underside of the shoulders 15, enabling the rib 5 tomove longitudinally of the recess 13 upon shifting of the roofing panelsdue to thermal expansion or contraction, or to a change in loadconditions. Such relative movement between the base 7 and the strip 8,as well as introduction of the base into the recess 13, is facilitatedif the strip 8 is made of a material having relatively low coefficientto friction, such as polyvinyl chloride.

It will be understood that although only one rib 5 and one strip 8 areshown in the drawing, such components are repeated across the width ofthe roof or side wall as many times as necessary to provide the desirednumber of insulation panels 1 between parallel purlins or girts, as thecase may be, with the opposite side edges of each insulation panelengaged by flanges 10 of strips 8.

Iciaim:

1. In combination with a building structure which includes exteriorsheathing and an insulation panel positioned adjacent the interior faceof the said sheathing, the outer face of the said panel being disposedtoward the sheathing and the inner face being disposed toward thebuilding interior, and a rib projecting from the said sheathing inwardlytoward the building 4() interior and having a substantially T-shapedbase;

an insulation-retaining strip for holding the said insulation panel inplace comprising an elongated channel-shaped section extendinglongitudinally of the strip and having a flange extending therefrom intoengagement with the said inner face of the panel,

the said channel-shaped section having an outwardly open re-entrantrecess therein defined by opposite side walls, and oppositely disposedshoulders extending into the said recess from the said side walls, theouter face of said shoulders sloping inwardly toward the said recess andforming a funnel-shaped entrance to the recess, which entrance isnarrower than the said rib base,

the said rib base being positioned in the said recess with its sideedges underlying the said shoulders, the said recess entrance beingexpandable sufficiently to permit introduction of the said side edges ofthe rib base into the said recess through the recess entrance.

2. A combination in accordance with claim I, in which op- 0 positelydisposed bearing surfaces in the said recess extend parallel to, andinwardly of, the said shoulders, the said side edges of the rib basebeing positioned between the said bearing surfaces and the saidshoulders and having a sliding fit therewith.

1. In combination with a building structure which includes exteriorsheathing and an insulation panel positioned adjacent the interior faceof the said sheathing, the outer face of the said panel being disposedtoward the sheathing and the inner face being disposed toward thebuilding interior, and a rib projecting from the said sheathing inwardlytoward the building interior and having a substantially T-shaped base;an insulation-retaining strip for holding the said insulation panel inplace comprising an elongated channel-shaped section extendinglongitudinally of the strip and having a flange extending therefrom intoengagement with the said inner face of the panel, the saidchannel-shaped section having an outwardly open reentrant recess thereindefined by opposite side walls, and oppositely disposed shouldersextending into the said recess from the said side walls, the outer faceof said shoulders sloping inwardly toward the said recess and forming afunnelshaped entrance to the recess, which entrance is narrower than thesaid rib base, the said rib base being positioned in the said recesswith its side edges underlying the said shoulders, the said recessentrance being expandable sufficiently to permit introduction of thesaid side edges of the rib base into the said recess through the recessentrance.
 2. A combination in accordance with claim 1, in whichoppositely disposed bearing surfaces in the said recess extend parallelto, and inwardly of, the said shoulders, the said side edges of the ribbase being positioned between the said bearing surfaces and the saidshoulders and having a sliding fit therewith.